The Legend of Zelda: Three Worlds' Curse
by Chaltab
Summary: Soul Calibur crossover. When a descendant of Majora steals his ancestor's mask, it's up to Link to track him down. Even if that takes him to our world and beyond. But can Link stop the demon before he obtains the Soul Edgeand from it, omnipotence?
1. Majora's Mask

_This story is set in the Ocarina of Time era about seven years after the events of Majora's Mask, and stars the Hero of Time. I won't go into timeline issues and such, just suffice it to say that most of the games take place after Ocarina. The order of the games is mostly irreleant to this story anyway. Anyways, enjoy._

**Disclaimer: **I do no own Zelda. I'm not Japanese, and I don't work for Nintendo. My name isn't Miyamoto; I'm just playing in his garden

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Hey.**

**LISTEN!**

**WAKE UP!**

**LISTEN! HEY!**

**WAKE UP!**

Link snapped awake in a cold sweat. That dream again. It was the third time this month that he had dreamed of Navi. It had been seven years since they parted, and yet he still found himself searching for her, at times. He could never figure out why, but she was... special to him. She was _his_ fairy. Having been the boy without a fairy... well. Finally getting one had meant a lot to him.

But having a fairy was not Link's lot in life. He had traveled through time, saved the land of Hyrule. He had given his all and emerged victorious against impossible odds. Then he'd left on another journey. It had taken him to another world, one with familiar faces but unfamiliar names. Sometimes he longed for that place. It was peaceful compared to the warring lands of Hyrule. Termina, they called it. _The End. _

Unfortunately, this was no ordinary nightmare that had awoken the exhausted Hero of Time. Link could feel in his bones that something was amiss. He knew he would never get back to sleep tonight. Something... dark. Something of the shadows was moving about in this dark forest where he slept.

He had intended to go to the Ranch and see Malon, see how the seven long years had increased her beauty. Yeah, living the life of an adventurer, Link had been through a dearth of beauty. At least of the female variety. But he knew he wouldn't make it this time; his destiny was once again calling him to rise to the challenge, and become a Hero once more.

Where the golden ones would lead him this time, he didn't know.

"Epona, come," Link whispered. His valiant horse galloped over beside him. He mounted the animal and took off through the woods, searching with his innate sense of evil, where the danger was.

"HELP ME! HELP ME!" A terrible scream rang out through the night.

Link turned slightly, and rode as fast as Epona could take him. Where was the sound coming from. And why did it sound so familiar? The voice... it was one he knew. He was sure of it.

A clearing up ahead, full of early morning mist, glowed slightly with the rising sun, and a supine figure lay across the ground, a bundle torn open and it's contents sprawled about near him. Link could feel that evil had been here, and the man on the ground had taken the full force of it.

He knelt over him and, and gasped. Through the fog, he could make out the unmistakable foreign features of the Happy Mask Salesman. What was he doing here, back in Hyrule after all these years? Link had never discovered whether he was from Hyrule, or it's sister reality. His skin and ears, and especially his eyes were unlike those of any place he'd ever been. And he had traveled the whole Earth, to Labrynna, Holodrum, Calatia, and distant, remote regions of Hyrule. None of them matched the Mask Salesman.

That really didn't matter, because the second thing Link noticed was the deep stab wound on the man's stomach. "You're injured," he observed. "Let me help you."

"Thank... you..." the man muttered.

Link reached into his bag and removed a bottle containing the healing bitter liquid, colored red like blood. He poured the concoction into the Salesman's mouth, and watched the wound as it rapidly closed. What sinister force could do this? The Salesman had the ability to teleport, to travel between worlds! Surely it would take a great evil force to harm him.

"Thank you," the Salesman repeated, more strongly this time. He observed Link, looking into his eyes. Then he smiled. "We've met before, haven't we. You're that boy. The one who recovered my mask for me and stopped the moon from falling."

Link hesitated, and then gave an affirmative nod.

"It is nice to see you again, my boy. Link was your name, yes? I suppose it still is."

Link nodded again, and the man smiled.

"You never did talk much." As if by magic, the Salesman went from sitting on the ground, to standing in an instant. "I feel much better now."

This changed after he studied his wares. "Oh! Oh no!"

Link gave him a quizzical look.

"That monster! The one that attacked me! The monster with no face stole my mask! The one you recovered from me seven years ago! It's gone!"

"The evil spirit inside was vanquished, Mr. Salesman."

"Yes, it was," replied the man. "By the way, Link, you can call me Ping. Anyway," Ping continued, "It's more the principle of the thing. I was robbed by an evil entity looking for a mask with evil powers. That means trouble!"

Link dreaded the obvious question, but felt he had to ask it anyway. "Is it possible that the mask retained some of Majora's Spirit?"

"Certainly not!" insisted Ping, who despite his protests was growing increasingly distraught.

Suddenly, he was calm again, as if nothing had ever been wrong. "Do you think you could go fetch it for me again. For old time's sake?"

Link gave him a smirk, and leapt back atop Epona. "H'yah!"

Off, deeper into the woods he rode, following the foreboding evil that he could feel from miles away. It was moving fast, whatever it was, but not as fast as the horse. He would close in on the thief in about two minutes. He removed his bow from his saddle-bag and set a light arrow. Ping said it was an evil entity; evil fears the light.

On the two rode, Link's legs aching from holding to Epona's side so tightly. Then he saw it, and the ache was eased as battle-readiness washed over him. The Triforce of Courage, he knew.

Whatever it was, it was animal, running on all fours, leaping and twisting through the trees. But it was wearing... armor. So it had a mind, did it? Link aimed the bow carefully as possible while riding a horse and let his arrow fly; it arced out and sailed over the running beast, drawing a start from it...

It turned and cut across Epona's path, knocking her off balance and causing Link to fly from his mount and tumble across the cold moss-covered earth into a tree stump. He shrugged the pain away and leapt to his feet, dashing in front of his horse, and drawing his sword and shield.

Nothing. It was as if the thing vanished. He walked forward several steps, looking around in all directions to see if the monster had headed back the way it had come. Then Epona started...

Link gasped and turned back to his horse... Only to find him staring into the face of thing that he pursued. Except... It _had no face.  
_

_What are you? _Link thought has he stepped hastily backward. Raising his magic reflective shield and twirling his sword through the worn leather covering his left hand.

It now stood, at least eight feet off the ground, and had drawn a blade from nowhere.

_I am Sin Ka Rah._

The voice—no not voice—**_thought_**: it echoed in his mind in an octave not his own, but there was no sound at all. Just communication through the mind, like what Zelda had taught him so many years ago.

_You are the one known as Link. Hero of Time. Worthless. Time will have no meaning when I achieve my goals. It needs no Hero._

Link had no idea how to respond to such a claim, or even if this thing could hear words. Its massive body was covered in a corroded gold or brass armor, and horns protruded from the sides of its grey skinned head. But the face... did not exist. The helmet of the armor opened onto a blank nothing, a swirling vortex of color and darkness, but with no eyes, no nose, no mouth. It was like staring into one of Ganondorf's black holes and hearing it talk to you, and this sent a chill up Link's spine.

_Would the bearer of the Ocarina take a swipe at Sin Ka Rah?_

He would, Link thought as he slashed out with his silver-white blade, aiming for the bare neck of the monstrous Sin Ka Rah, but Sin would have none of that, bringing his massive bronze sword up to counter. Link parried the strike and lashed at him with several successive blows to the armor that availed nothing. He blocked with the shield as Sin attacked again, deflecting the blade and taking a jab at the void where Sin's face should be.

But with lighting speed, Sin's sword blocked the thrust, and a backhand sent link flying into a nearby tree. Undeterred, Link got up and charged again, this time throwing down a Deku nut to stun the demon. Unfortunately, lacking eyes to be blinded, Sin was unaffected by the nut, so the two began their melee anew, high, low, parry... Until they got locked in a power struggle, slowly inching their heads closer until the black and violet oblivion where Sin's face should have been was an inch from Link's nose.

_You are a worthy opponent, but you only get in my way. You delay destiny. Omnipotence is mine._

"HAYAAHH!" Link altered the angle of the force he was applying to the blade, causing the larger sword wielded by Sin to slide off Link's, and down his shield. Link used his momentum further, charging his sword with magic and performing a spin attack, lashing through Sin's neck. Then he rammed the blade through his head. "HEEIIIH!"

A blue tint flashed over Sin Ka Rah's body; he flailed his arms backwards. But it wasn't a killing blow.

_Foolish Hylian. Dare you to pierce the void with a mere blade? Impossible._

Link raised his left hand, the Triforce of Courage glowing and filling him with power. He took his sword in both hands, letting his shield dangle from it's strap, and his tried to deliver the killing blow."You are beaten!" he bellowed. But Sin surprised him again, regaining his strength and firmly kicking Link in the stomach. Link rolled as he landed, tumbling backwards and coming up in a kneel.

_This challenge has gotten too risky. I cannot afford to fight you, Hero, until I possess the omnipotence I was promised._

Link attacked again, trying to infuse his blade with the power of the Triforce, or at least the magic of his Hylian blood, with every stroke. A dark aura surrounded Sin, and with the same speed as before, he reached up and grabbed Link's left arm, causing him to drop the sword.

Light filled Link's vision as the Triforce of Courage was siphoned out of him, and appeared in tangible form in front.

_Courage. I have no need of Courage. I have nothing to fear. _The Triforce faded and reentered the Hero of Time.

Link hoped to make Sin Ka Rah eat his words. Er... **Thoughts**.

Suddenly, Link felt as though his mind was being... invaded. Violated. It was being _read._

_Then it's true. In this time, the artifact I desire is still sealed away in the Golden Land. Congratulations, Link. You and the one called Ping have made my job easier for the moment. I will spare your realms. For now._

Sin dropped Link, but not before sending a paralyzing shock through the young man's body. He stepped away, and reached into a bag around his waist, and withdrew Majora's Mask. It looked just as Link remembered it.

_The prophecy is fulfilling itself. Sin's armor fell away to reveal his true body: not human, not Hylian, or any other race of Hyrule or this world. A massive hulk of muscle and bone, colored like sand._

Sin placed the mask over the void he wore for a face, and Link could **feel** the evil energy radiating off of him and the mask as the two merged. The spikes around the outside of the mask contorted into veins, veins which pierced deep into Sin's head and neck, pumping blood and evil power into his body. The color of his skin changed, the patterns of Majora spreading all over him, and hardening into a natural chitin, armor which no unenchanted blade could cut. But most horrible was the painted face on the mask itself stretched and covered, becoming the monster's face. The eyes of the mask blinked, and it opened it's mouth revealing fangs! But still, no words came to Link's ears.

_Yes. This is most acceptable. Majora was the greatest shaman of my species. His power now belongs to me. I have one of three. Link. If you pursue me, you will die. Stay alive. Much time will have passed by the time I return to this world, and you will be long dead._

Link refused the dark warrior's offer. If he was the same race as the ancient Majora, then how could Link allow him to live? To even escape Hyrule? No world would be afflicted with Majora's evil again! Link rose, the paralysis wearing off. He drew energy from his Courage.

"AAHH!" Link swung with both hands, but the blade didn't even phase his adversary, just contacting and bouncing off harmlessly.

_If you insist on pursuing me, I will arrange your demise now. Navithor, come._

Sin hovered into the air, the power of Majora pulsating through him. Then, the world shattered around him, and he vanished into a rift in the fabric of reality.

Link cursed at him in the name of Din and fell to his knees. He had his life, but another world would die. And who was Navithor?

Suddenly, another dark presence with a faint hint of light made itself known behind him.

"You are surely the Hero, art thou not?" the creature said in a mocking tone, an artificially sweet female voice... "I am Navithor, corrupted by Sin. Your demise at my hands is certain."

Link gazed deeply into the eyes of the monstrous female beast before him, wings the span of five Keese and fangs that rivaled Volvagia's. But the eyes.

He knew... It could be no one else.

"Navi," he whispered...

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_Author's Note: This story began as I sat contemplating the terrible state of the Zelda fandom at this website. So much of it is dreck, romance garbage that's poorly written, out of character, or just downright creepy. And then there are the sues! Don't get me started on how many Mary Sues plauge the Zelda fandom. I hope this doesn't sound elitist or arrogant, but I wrote this as sort of a way to combat that, at least in some small manner. I hope you enjoyed this chapter and those to come. _


	2. A Link to the Past

A-Note: I understand that a lot of people aren't fans of Navi, and probably prefer Tatl, or no fairy at all. Unfortunately, because Link doesn't mince words, I need someone who will talk. And besides, Tatl's story had closure, unlike Navi's. She's happy. She has Skull Child and her brother. Navi is the one Link is looking for.

Also, this is a crossover with Soul Caliber 2, sort of my spin on the events of that game and why Link was there in the Gamecube version. Perhaps I'll have cameos by Spawn and Heihachi too, but this isn't their story. And if you're reading a Zelda fic, I doubt you'll mind too much.**  
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The Legend of Zelda: Three World's Curse  
Part II**

The two combatants circled each other. Link, the Hero of Time. Courageous, green.

Deadly, when he had to be.

And facing off against him, Navithor. An abomination, a corruption of perhaps Link's best friend. Somehow whatever Sin had done to her had caused her body to swell; what had once been a tiny forest fairy was now the size of a Goron, massive razor-sharp teeth jutting from her dark smile.

Deadly. But only because Sin wanted her to be.

The two exchanged no words, but could almost stare into each other's souls. Link hated having to attack Navi, and swore that he would make Sin pay for this. He lunged forward, slashing his blade horizontally. Navithor dodged backwards, but lashed out a sharp tendril from her arm, forcing Link to bring up his shield to block it.

Navithor took the opportunity and blasted a powerful ball of magic fire into Link's shield, and it blasted him backwards, his arm feeling most of the impact. He rolled with the blow and just managed to regain his footing, when he had to slash at Navithor's striking arm—it had extended out, like the tongue of a lizaflos or a frog.

Link rolled under the stretchy appendage and sliced it, Navithor reeling from the pain. The Hero immediately leapt to his feet and followed up with a series of cuts to Navithor's chitinous armor, hacking pieces of it off before a magic flame exploded around her and drove Link back; Link grunted has he fell.

Navithor shot straight up, as if blasted from a cannon, through the leaves and branches above them, and plummeted down, her sharp foot-like appendages plummeting towards Link's neck.

But Link rolled out of the way and Navithor slammed into the ground; Link had felt the attack coming, as if there was a psychic link between himself and his former fairy. While her bladed feet were partially buried, he retaliated by hurling his boomerang. It sliced through one of Navithor's wings and flew off into the woods.

Reacting in surprise and pain, Navithor shrieked and jumped backwards, even as Link rolled over his shoulder and came up into a spinning sword slash, having infused his blade with magic. A ring of fire formed around the Hero, empowering his blade and preventing dizziness.

The attack left several deep gashes in the chitin that protected Navithor's vital organs, but the victory was short lived, as she retaliated swiftly, growing back the tendril Link had cut off earlier, and summoning more dark magic. Her body began to glow red, even as Link felt the dark power swell up in side her. The foliage on the damp ground withered away around her, belying the evil within.

The demon that Link's friend had become hissed something in a language Link didn't understand, a language too horrible to transcribe or translate, and charged at her former ward, pummeling him with a fiery wrath.

Link's clothes caught fire, even as he struggled to free himself from the assault, and he felt his life draining. A slice to the back of the hand caused Link to drop his sword, and the strap that secured his shield to his right arm was melted or burned off, and his protection against the blades and bludgeons of his enemies fell away…

But the barrage of fire ended when he slammed against a sturdy, moss-covered tree. He coughed, ejecting the smoke from his lungs. He realized he was unarmed, but could do nothing to change this status…

**_SHKUCKH  
_**

Link's quandary was interrupted when Navithor slammed a dual-bladed outgrowth from her wrist into the bark of the tree, wrapping around Link's neck, threatening, coming ever so close to decapitating him.

"Sin Ka Rah." Navithor said…

All Link could do was make a faint gurgling sound, afraid to even breathe, lest the blade slip and cut his neck…

Suddenly, a familiar whirring sound echoed nearby, and Link and Navithor turned, one hopeful, the other curious. And curiosity, in the end, killed the demonically corrupted fairy, as Link's boomerang slammed into her hideous face, causing silver blood to explode out of it as it impaled her through the left temple..

Link took the opportunity to reverse the situation. Drawing strength from the golden gauntlets, he yanked, with no small effort, the bladed appendage from the tree, twisting Navithor's arm in a joint lock he'd learned training in Calatia's great monasteries, and then followed up with a one-two kick with his powerful Pegasus Boots, recovered from a deep cave under Holodrum.

Navi flew backwards at the impact of the second kick, rolling over as Link dived for his shield. Navithor also threw herself at the ground, grabbing for Link's blade before he could get to it. But Link was a step ahead of her, grabbing his shield and hurling it across the distance. It slammed into Navithor's neck, driving her back with its momentum and allowing Link to grab his sword…

"HAIYHA!" Link jumped forward and brought the blade down across Navithor's head, even as the silver fairy blood flowed from her neck and face, and Navithor flashed blue as he made contact… Navithor gave half a death rattle and just lay on the peat, whimpering as she bled to death.

The fight was over, but Link was saddened. Navi… his fairy. Was this her fate? Could he do nothing but watch her die?

He fell to his knees over the body, anger swelling up. This was not Navi's choice! Sin had done this to her. Sin was the culprit, and Navi did not deserve to die for the actions of that monster.

Link cursed Sin Ka Rah, even has he struggled to hold back the tears. Searching, Searching the entire world for seven years, and now that he had finally found her, he had been forced to kill her.

Wasn't there something, anything that could heal her?

…Of course! The _Song._

Link reached into his bag, which had miraculously survived the fight, and removed the Ocarina of Time. It was a song taught to him by Ping: The Song of Healing. It drew evil or hurting spirits away from their hosts or bodies, and converted them into masks, masks that could have their power harnessed…

Or masks that could be destroyed.

Either way, it was his only hope to save Navi. Link recalled the notes he had learned then, so long ago inside the Clock Tower, a magic place that housed a portal between the two worlds, impervious to the flow of time. It was the place he'd first seen the song's power.

He had long ago sold or traded the masks the song had constructed for him, just to get by in his travels. But he would never forget the song, and never willingly part with the Ocarina, the treasure of Hyrule's royal family.

And, all this swimming in his mind, Link pressed the mouthpiece to his lips and played the familiar notes using A and the four C buttons, even as he did, the magic notes echoing throughout the forest. Navithor's body burst into blue flames, and smoke hovered above her, twisting into a shape…

The horrid, blood-marred visage of Navithor was now only a mask. Link reached out and took it, disgusted by the evil he could feel within. On the ground lay a tiny fairy, barely the size of a green rupee. Navi had lost her glow, and was still dying, but at least she would die now with honor.

No. She wouldn't die. She couldn't! Link had searched for her too long and too hard for her life to end now. He hurled the masked against the ground and drove his sword through it, infusing the blade with the power of the Triforce of Courage. The spirit it contained writhed within the mask, and died, and the mask shattered, revealing the prize: a full heart container, the life essence of the demon. Link sliced the container in two, and took most of it for himself, revitalizing his weary body.

And the remaining Piece of Heart Link held over Navi, whispering a silent prayer as the vitality within washed over the wounded fairy.

In a sudden burst of brilliant light, Navi's glow re-ignited, her wings began flapping, and she hovered off the ground…

"L…. Link?" She said weakly. "Is t…that… you?"

**oooo**

"You mean you've spent all these years looking for me?" Navi looked down, hiding a tear. "Thank you."

Link nodded at his fairy. He had already explained the situation, and Navi had told him of what had happened to her as well. After departing her friend upon returning from the future, Navi had returned to the forest to await the growth of the new Deku Tree.

But some with dark motives decided this wasn't acceptable, and had burned the original tree, it's dead, rotting wood decaying under a massive fire that had consumed much of the lost woods. While Link was busy saving Termina from the falling moon, dark invaders, pirates from beyond the southern sea had allowed evil men and monsters of all kinds into Hyrule, and though the Knights did what they could to subdue them, Hyrule had changed a lot.

And into this fray had come the being known as Sin. How he had gotten to Hyrule, Navi could not say, but he had somehow felt her great inner strength. Perhaps he envied it, perhaps he despised it, perhaps it's impossible to know, but for whatever reason, Sin chose—in addition to others—Navi as a fallen angel, a demon underling to his devilish lordship.

Hence Navithor was born.

"It was horrible Link. Sin's evil, his darkness. I don't know where it came from, or if it's just innate to his species, but it overwhelmed me."

Link lowered his head sadly. His friend has suffered so much, and Link feared there would be more to come. If Sin was related to Majora, and if he now HAD the powers of Majora, then what would happen now? And what was this new artifact that he sought?

The Triforce of Power was in this world, but there was obviously something else, a third piece of the puzzle.

And if anyone would know, Ping would. Not seeing Epona anywhere nearby, Link decided it would be faster just to go on foot. Navi sat on his shoulder as he silently infused his Pegasus Boots with magic, and darted forward, twisting and leaping through the trees and branches, until he came across the clearly where he had left the Happy Mask Salesman.

Oddly, Ping sat there, poking away half-heartedly at a giant pipe organ that had seemed to materialize from nowhere, just as the one Ping has used to teach him the Song of Healing.

"Ah, you're back!" Ping greeted, turning around. The organ vanished altogether.

"Do I know you?" Navi asked the strange man with the huge burden on his back.

"I have met many forest fairies in my day," Ping said, "perhaps we have. You are not the fairy that Link aided in Termina, I see."

"What?" Navi blurted, fluttering threateningly—well, as threateningly as fluttering can possibly appear—at Link. "You had another fairy after me?"

Link just gave a sheepish grin and kicked at some dirt.

"Well, please," Ping said, "I don't mean to interrupt your happy little reunion, but I must be going. Will you give me my mask? I shall soon be gone."

A dreadful and awkward silence fell over the trio.

"You don't have it, do you?"

Link shook his head and apologized.

"NOT AGAIN!" Ping blurted, shaking is fists at the sky and screaming in rage. "If that dark monster has my mask, I'm afraid the entire world is in great danger… and so is my bottom line!"

After a moment, Link sighed. "I will go," he said. "I will retrieve Majora's Mask again."

Navi stared at Link dumbfounded. "You just spoke! To someone who wasn't me!" she blurted. "I can't believe it!"

Link ignored her. "The monster who attacked you called himself Sin Ka Rah." Link repeated what Sin had said about the three things he needed to attain omnipotence, and Ping took it all in, his expression occasionally flashing from sadness, to understanding, to utter frustration. His ability to move without actually _moving _was as disconcerting as ever.

"He has gone to the Third World." Ping said gravely. "My world."

Link looked at him quizzically.

"I am not from your Hyrule of Tatl and Tael's Termina. My world is unlike Termina, and unlike Hyrule. It is more logical, more rational. Magic, if it exists, barely does so."

"And if a being as powerful as Sin is there," Navi said… "Then they are doomed."

Link cursed Sin. "Is there nothing I can do?"

Ping smiled. "There is a way to get to and from my world. It's a method of transit that I'm sure you are very familiar with." Ping turned around and suddenly, the organ was back on the mossy soil, The Salesman was hunched over its keys, searching through several sheets of music.

"Ah hear it is," he said at last. "This song I shall teach you is how I work my way amongst the worlds in which I do my business. You still have your Ocarina, I believe."

Link nodded, and removed it from his bag.

"Then learn now the Song of Worlds."

Ping turned, and reading from the sheet music, pressed in a series of seven notes, a magic melody that echoed throughout the forest. And Link played it as well, repeating the notes on his Ocarina….

Soon, the whole forest swam with the sounds of the song, and the air itself seemed to glow around them, the whole wood static as worlds flashed around them. And as the light faded, Link looked down at his instrument, which glowed and sparkled with the acquisition of a new song.

_You have learned the Song of Worlds._

**oooo**

Link waited until the song led Epona back to him before setting off, not knowing what terrain this new world would hold. But the wait gave him time to worry.

"How am I to defeat a monster with such power?" He whispered.

Ping must have heard him, because he strode over and whispered to Link. "You have a powerful mask yourself, do you not? One that can defeat Sin and Majora."

Link looked at the strange little man, his eyes fierce. "I swore to never wear that mask again," he said. "Its evil didn't corrupt me seven years ago because I was a child. I still had much of my innocence. Now, I fear what it would do to me. Wearing it, I could become just like him."

"If you hesitate, if you falter," Ping said, "we will all die horrible deaths. I would rather cower under a fierce deity than be mercilessly hounded by a sadistic devil."

With that, he vanished. Link sighed as he mounted Epona, Navi hovering beside him. "You ready to go?" she asked.

Link nodded. He was ready to do this—to fight and win, at all costs. It was what the Hero did.

He pressed the Ocarina to his lips again and began to play, reality warping around him. He only gave the magic of the Ocarina's music one command: _Follow Sin._

And so, the power whisked him away to another world.

Where the Soul Edge awaited.


	3. The Adventure of Link

**The Legend of Zelda: Three World's Curse**

**Chapter Three**

As the sweet magic music of the Ocarina began to fade, Link found himself riding forward into the unknown, towards a new world What strangeness would he find here? Would they speak his language? Would they even have Hylians or Humans? What if they were all Zora?

No, that couldn't be right. If the Salesmen was from this place, then surely they had humans too, though what strange breed of them existed, Link could only guess at. And if Ping was any indication, it was a very odd race indeed.

Link struck Epona's flank with his boots urging her to move faster. And as the last notes of music vanished, the world suddenly opened up into a massive green countryside. Well, he was there, it seemed. Now where too? Scanning the horizon around, Link at first saw nothing familiar in the least…

Then, he saw them… people. They were working in some kind of fields, Link observed. They didn't look particularly happy about it, though.

Link noticed their clothing was rather drab compared to his vibrant green tunic, and decided to keep out of the way. He rode in there direction, circling down to the North or the South—he didn't know for sure, because he didn't know the time of day and had no compass… After a while of riding, he gradually came upon some buildings. The buildings grew denser, and Link gradually found himself in a town…

The architecture was quaint, but not ugly, and though the town was nowhere near as advanced as the city around Hyrule Castle or Termina's Clocktown, it was spread out over a very large area.

Link gradually realized that perhaps his appearance was odd to the residents of this village, as what people there were began to approach his horse, forcing him to slow. They gathered around Epona as he entered the city, and began murmuring at him. But he couldn't even begin to decipher this strange language.

Soon, Link realized that most of the gasps and awes were coming from the sight of Navi, and it occurred to him that perhaps fairies were rare in this part of the world. Maybe they had never seen one…

"What do you think?" he asked Navi.

"They're acting like Din herself is walking among them," she said. "Look. None of them have pointed ears."

Link observed more closely and realized that his fairy was correct, and that many of them had reacted in a very startled manner to her speaking… Though, the obviously hadn't understood a word of the conversation.

"Maybe they think I'm a freak," Link sighed. Soon, he came to a strange clearing in the middle of the town with no people, buildings, or plant life, and there he tethered Epona to a stump and got off his horse. As he procured his things from their places on the saddle, he noticed that people passing on the streets were occasionally staring at him. And that some had fled… He didn't know what to make of them. They didn't look much like Ping in the finer details. They were considerably taller and of fairer skin, more of a Holodrum looking race than anything, though not nearly as burly.

"Now what? We have absolutely no way to find Sin and can't even speak the language around here." Navi fluttered about, fretting. "Look at us. Reunited just a few minutes ago and already on another adventure. Just like old times, right Link?"

But Link hadn't really been paying attention, and was looking all over the town, trying to take it all in. Something seemed different about this world. As if it were more natural, larger, but with less spark from the supernatural. Almost as if Din, Nayru, and Farore had not even touched this world, and yet it had still come into being somehow.

Link realized that he heard no whispers, and that as far as mystic noise was concerned, the world he was in was, compared to Hyrule, unspeakable silent. He gave a long sigh. What would that mean for his quest?

"LISTEN!" Navi blurted. "Quit daydreaming and focus."

Link nodded, and turned to remove his sword from Epona's saddle. He pulled off the scabbard, but before tying it around his back and studied his blade. It had been forged for him three years earlier in Calatia by a mountain of a Dwarf (there was an irony!) and his Goron assistants. Kebra, they called him. He had infused the blade with the spirit of a departed Great Fairy, and had christened it the Opal Sword, because it shimmered in the light like a great pearl, reflecting many colors. It was finely crafted, with intricate designs on the hand guard, and a blade sharp enough to cut through a foot-thick tree trunk.

Sure, it was no Master Sword, but no blade was. This would do, Link prayed.

Without warning, a terrible cry of fear and perhaps pain rang throughout the town, and Link, being Hero, could not ignore it. He quickly fastened his sword and ran through the narrow streets in the direction he had heard the call from. As he approached he gasped when he saw a creature that looked like a massive dog attacking a duo of women. One had bleeding wounds on her right leg and was limping.

Link observed from their left, from a narrow alley. The dog was obviously under the corruption of Sin Ka Rah, and as it lunged at the women again, Link also lunged, slamming into the dog and knocking it against the wall. He drew his sword and hacked into it, sending blue blood all over the cobblestone street, and the dog jumped away.

Link nodded at Navi, who initiated her calm mental connection that let Link keep his bearings and know exactly where the dog was at all times, even if it jumped over his head. He had been told this was called Z-Targeting, but he never understood why.

The dog snarled and lunged at him, it's many fangs trying to take some of Link's flesh. The Hero slammed his shield into the canine's face forcefully enough to knock it back and then kicked it hard in the chest. He leapt the distance he'd created between him and the dog and rammed his sword through the vile creature's throat, and then dragged it backwards through the chest, more blood and dark power escaping.

A blue flame consumed the dog, and burned away the corruption, leaving only a dead dog, and not a hellhound. The women gasped, and soon, men brandishing weapons came running. And they demanded to know what had gone on, apparently.

They conversed with the women briefly in their strange tongue, and then turned to Link and began to question him. Link spoke in his own language, and tried to make gestures to indicate that he could not understand the men, (who by then Link had guessed to be some sort of city guard or, judging by their equipment, a part of a soldier garrison.)

Link could not make out their demands as they continued to speak, but it was clear they were growing increasingly hostile, brandishing their swords at him. Link took a step back, and the two soldiers stepped around in circular motions, blocking both the alley and the street, and the two distraught women acting as a barrier should Link flee that way.

As Link toiled in trying to calm the soldiers who spoke not a word of any language of Hyrule, he studied them. The man on the right had a scar across his lower right leg, which wasn't covered by armor, apparently due to swelling. He looked to be in his mid thirties, granted that this people measured time and age in the same manner as the people of Hyrule. His face was made rough by stubble, and his skin was quite dark. Link noticed that in addition to the short sword, he also possessed a cleaver strapped to his belt that looked like it was made of flint, and hence, Link decided to dub him Clint.

The other was a bit younger, perhaps his early twenties, and had jet-black hair. His skin was also quite dark, reddish. His sword had a large section missing in the middle, Link noticed—and he couldn't help but do so with it not three inches from his face at several points in the fruitless interrogation. This guy, who Link called Black, seemed to be a bit more impulsive. He even had the gall to try and poke Navi with his sword, and was promptly cursed out for it, though the he seemed more shocked at the fact the fairy spoke than scorned by her words. Link suggested that Navi remain hidden for a while, and the fairy gladly complied, returning to his hat.

Clint and Black were now trying to subdue Link, still attempting long after the women had left. But Link refused to be bound, for after all, he had a mission. Whatever Sin intended to do, Link knew it was up to him to stop, be it alone or with help; either way, the task had fallen on him.

Link darted away, heading for the nearest wall and using his Dash Boots to build enough speed to clear it, even as Clint and Black started to stumble over it, climbing just fast enough see Link hit the ground on the other side before they fell, rolling over the wall. Link saw the path ahead of him was clear, and used the Boots to fun like the wind, Clint and Black couldn't possible keep up with him…

He glanced over his shoulder to see them, shouting after him, probably to stop. Unfortunately, Link wasn't paying attention to where he was going.

"WHATCHOUT!" Navi blurted from inside his hat, and Link jerked his head back around just in time to see the outstretched arm of the statue before it slammed into his face and all went black…

By the time Link came to, Clint and Black were too close for comfort, and Link leapt to his feet, only to slam his head into the statue again. He rolled away, but then was dive tackled while trying to stand by Black…

Clint got there a moment later and jerked Link up and shoved him against a nearby wall. The soldier began barking questions at Link again in his strange tongue, and Link grew angry, gritting his teeth at the man.

"_Neitmaru_!" Link barked at him, the worst curse he could think of.

And THAT seemed to get the soldiers' attention.

"Nightmare?" he asked, along with more words in his own language.

Whatever the word meant to Clint, it seemed to horrify the man. Link gasped as suddenly Black pressed a dagger to Link's throat and demanded to know something in his language, repeating the word "Nightmare."

Link had no idea what to say, and did not answer…

Angered, Black drew his blade back, and plunged it forward into Link's throat—or so it would have happened… But instead, a new weapon appeared and deflected Black's intended deathblow.

"Stand down, soldiers," a new voice said, one that Link could understand. Apparently, the soldiers did as well…

Link turned, and saw a beautiful blond woman with defiant green eyes staring him down, a brilliant and surprisingly large white blade in her right hand and a shield in the other; she wore a blue and white tunic with odd pink lace tie around the top. The tunic exposed much of her legs, and though they were covered by some thin brown leggings, it didn't look like very effective armor.

She stepped closer to him, and wrapped a small necklace with a gem dangling from the chain around his neck. Clint and Black stared at her in quiet reverence, it seemed. Maybe simple respect?

"Now, sir, speak. Tell us who you are," the woman said.

"Miss Cassandra," Clint said, "it is a pleasure to see you. We found this man in an alley slaying one of the devil dogs, but when asked to identify himself, he would not. He doesn't seem to speak a word of Turkish or Greek."

Black picked up, "But when we continued to press him about where he came from, we thought to ask who commanded him… And he replied 'Nightmare'."

Cassandra studied Link a bit more, and then said, "Does this man appear to be a servant of Nightmare—or of the new scourge, for that matter?"

"No, my lady," replied Clint.

"Nightmare was vicious, but not one for deception," Black agreed, his voice puzzled.

The lady turned to Link again and spoke. "I am Cassandra Alexandra; my house and I are servants of Hephaestus and of high status in this land. Tell me your name, traveler."

Link bowed slightly, and spoke, keeping his voice earnest as possible. "My name is Link," he said, "and I come from… a far away land known as Hyrule. I came here pursuing a dark and powerful being that calls itself Sin Ka Rah."

The mention of his name drew reactions from the three.

"Sin Ka Rah," she repeated. "I now know from whence the devil came," she said. "Why do you pursue him?"

"He stole something from my land, a thing of great evil power. He said he needed something from this place, something that would grant him omnipotence."

Two simple words formed in Link's mind, though he didn't know where they came from.

"A 'Soul Edge'?" he asked.

Cassandra gasped at that, and then turned to Clint and Black, who didn't seem to recognize the word at all. "Soldiers," she ordered. "This man is now under my guard. Leave us and return to your posts."

"Yes, my lady," Clint and Black said in unison.

"Link, you said your name was," she addressed him. "The necklace I gave you allows you to speak and be understood by anyone, regardless of language, and in turn to understand any words spoken to you… I know of the thing which your Sin Ka Rah seeks; the Soul Edge. And now I fear greatly for my sister's sake, and she, far away in Athens. You must ride with me there. Have you a horse?"

Link nodded. "I tethered her in the village."

"Then go prepare now, for it is a three day journey. I must know something before I will know what to do concerning you."

**oooo**

Not an hour later, as the sun began to set, Cassandra and Link rode side by side, Link on Epona and the Lady Alexander on a white steed. And as they galloped southward, a dread within Link's heart began to build.

Something wasn't right, and Navi's nervous fluttering atop his head let him know that she could feel it too.

Link realized then that he might be in this world a very long time, and that Sin Ka Rah was perhaps an even greater threat than Ganon himself….

"Steel yourself, Hero," Cassandra said, "we will not rest till sunrise."

Link nodded, and for good measure, took a small swig of Red Potion. The bitter liquid soothed him, and the new allies rode together into the night.

Athens awaited.


	4. The House of Rothion

**Legend of Zelda: Three Worlds' Curse  
Part Four: The House of Rothion**

Cassandra had called it a three day journey, but she was obviously understating the distance, because the next **_week_** and three days were spent riding the distance between the small town where Link had first entered this new world and Athens. And as he rode, he marveled at how massive it all was, and how all this land could be considered the same country.

They slept under the stars, having no tents, and occasionally they took shelter in caves or forests when heavy rains came, which they did occasionally. Link and Navi took turns at night, watching to make sure that this Cassandra was not some sort of traitor who would kill Link in his sleep, and of course for any beasts that would attack them by moonlight. He smirked slightly, regretting how he had traded his All-Night-Mask for a Piece of Heart all those years ago.

**0000**

At this moment, the horses of Cassandra and Link thundered across a stream, still heading south.

Link smiled as he rode and thanked Nayru that he was Hylian, and that he did not have to worry about his appearance, about shaving off a beard for years to come. How awful that would be! He couldn't imagine being human, possessing all those cumbersome flaws that the goddesses granted Hylians grace from.

With that in mind, Link found himself marveling quite often at Cassandra. She was, in a word, beautiful, and not 'beautiful for a human' either. Though the days of rough travel had dirtied her body and clothing, as well as those golden locks that had been so incredibly immaculate in the village, she still radiated a serene yet commanding presence, a charisma Link found surprising, even challenging. She seemed to be in her own mind, equal to Link, and it was unexpected yet oddly gratifying for a human woman to have such esteem of herself.

"We grow near," she said to him from atop her stallion, and then urged her horse to take the lead.

Link nodded, and as they rode on, he began to run over anything in his mind that would help him defeat Sin Ka Rah, anything he had seen during his battle in the forest. It was obvious Sin had a large store of arrogance, and that could be used against him. It also seemed that he would have to return to Hyrule—he had said he needed the Triforce of Power to complete his mad quest for omnipotence.

But when Link had fought him, it had been a struggle—for both of them. Sin Ka Rah had been powerful, but he wasn't omnipotent—not yet anyway, and Link could use the demon's quest to his own advantage.

Suddenly, Navy fluttered her wings rapidly, making that tell-tale chime: something was amiss. "What is wrong?" he whispered to her.

"It's Sin's beasts," Navi said. "I feel them coming this way!"

Link gave her a curious look.

"I can sense them… I don't know how. Perhaps because of all those months I was under his control."

Link's eyes widened and he spurred Epona forward till she matched pace with Cassandra. "Cassandra," he said, "Something is preparing to attack us."

She looked at him with alarm. "Where? I see nothing."

"My companion says she can feel them coming. Get ready to—"

Link's words were cut off by a terrible screeching, and he snapped his head back and gasped as two winged chitinous monsters swooped down, eyes glowing with the same unspeakable void that had made up Sin Ka Rah's face.

As they attacked, Link tugged on Epona's reigns firmly, forcing her to slow suddenly, then lashed out his sword from his sheath, cutting into one of the monsters and sending chunks flying from its carapace. Then something slammed into Link hard from the opposite side, and he went flying from his horse and rolled when he hit the ground, coming to his feet. A horse and its rider, the latter wielding a huge blunt club, both obviously corrupted by Link's new adversary. It charged forward, and Link rolled out of the way, trying to cut the rider down from atop his horse—then suddenly he realized there WAS no horse… The club wielding rider and horse-like body were all the same creature, though it looked more like a horse had had it's head cut off and a knight's upper body sewn on in its stead rather than anything natural.

Link engaged his foe, even as Cassandra was dragged off her horse. She had driven her sword into the back of the chitinous flyer that had gone after her, but it hadn't killed it, and the thing had pulled her from the saddle. She rolled across the ground, her skirt and leggings becoming stained with mud, but she got the creature pinned to the ground and crushed its head against her shield. Then pain shot through her leg as a whip lashed out and caught her off guard. She rolled over and found a cut on the back of her right calf muscle, but ignored as soon as she saw what had attacked her… It looked vaguely like a human covered in reptile scales, but its arms were like massive rose vines, covered in small thorns. They tapered to sharp point at the very end. Cassandra charged at it, cutting the tendrils with her sword and hoping her shield kept her protected her.

Link dodged away from the monster that pursued him as another powerful smash of the club caused the ground to shake and clods to go flying. Link grunted as he jumped forward and struck the humanoid, aiming for the chest but only succeeding in piercing its forearm.

The brute ignored the strike altogether and charged forward, swinging the club at Link once again, and Link backflipped out of the way and sheathed his sword. Before he could take out any other weapon to replace it, however, the Centaur was there, and he made contact, knocking Link back by twenty feet or more and probably cracking the arm Link had tried to block it with—he knew it hurt enough for that.

Link pulled out his Magic Hammer—it wasn't the _Megaton_ Hammer, and wasn't nearly as powerful as the artifact he had left in that averted Dark Future, resealed in the Fire Temple.

But this Hammer was still strong enough to get the job done.

Only the beast he was fighting didn't seem to think so, glaring at him with a look that said 'Is that all you've got?' and laughing in a clacking, deep throated laugh.

Link shot the fiend a smirk that said 'really?' and then threw the Hammer up into the air. The centaur watched it fly, ascending to the height of its parabola before arcing back down.

Link quickly drew his bow and set an arrow, enchanting it with the Ice Arrow spell and letting it fly at the fiend's head. Caught off guard, the Centaur had a split second to react, and it wasn't enough; the arrow pierced his jaw, and the spell exploded off, freezing his whole head and neck and his right shoulder, just as Link caught the Hammer.

"HHIIIYAH!" Link grunted, jumping forward and planting a foot against the beasts lower chest, digging into the carapace and using it to gain height. Link smashed the Hammer down on his foe's head, and it exploded in a spray of chitin and frozen brain matter.

Link turned to Cassandra, who had her back pinned against a large rock, by the dancing vine-arm monster. The free tendril snapped back as if it were going for the kill, and Link started forward to help when he saw Cassandra hurl herself off the ground, twisting over and jerking the tendril that had her wrapped up down. The other tendril smashed into the rock digging in and getting stuck there. Cassandra flicked her blade out and stabbed it into the hole, cutting that tendril's tip off, the sword lodging in the crevice. Then she hit the rock rolled along its surface, making sure the tentacle that still entangled her body was wrapped around the blade that still jutted handle first from the rock.

It started to pull her away, and it took all her strength to reach out and grab the handle of her blade…

Then the monster jerked, and Cassandra gritted her teeth as the thorns on the tendrils dug into her skin. But she didn't let go of the blade, and was able to slice off the tendril by pulling the blade back towards the rock, using the ancient stone as a cutting board.

The remaining length of the beasts Tendril lashed back towards her opponent, and the part still wrapped around her lost its strength as the blood and dark magic drained out, and Cassandra freed herself.

The monster darted forward and performed a flying kick at her. Cassandra rolled out of the way and came across her disarmed shield. She quickly picked it up and raised it in the direction of the fiend. It attacked again in the same manner, but this time Cassandra used her shield to break its momentum and force it to tumble onto the ground, where she plunged her blade into its hideous face, a thick foul smelling yellow liquid bubbling to the surface as the creature died…

"You are very skilled," Link greeted as he approached. "I've never seen a woman so young as you show such skill in combat!"

"Who are you calling young, child?" she asked him, not actually angry, just mildly annoyed. Cassandra collapsed into a sitting position against the rock, and Link sat down near her. "You cannot be any older than—"

"I am seventeen," Link said.

Navi sighed. "Has it really only been seven years since we last parted, Link?" she mused. "It seems like an eternity and more."

**0000**

Cassandra stared into the flying, winged ball of light that hovered around Link's head, and finally, she couldn't help but ask, "What _are _you?"

Navi fluttered incredulously. "You mean to say you have never seen a fairy before?"

Cassandra shook her head, even as she reached out and tried to touch the ball of light. "Never have I seen anything so alien, so strange," she said.

"My name is Navi," she finally said, apparently realizing that Cassandra was serious. "I am a fairy, a servant of the great forest guardian, the Deku Tree, though he is dead now."

Cassandra felt her face betray her confusion, and Navi and Link obviously saw it…

"Let me start at the beginning," Link said…

So, the next two hours were spent listening and healing as Link told Cassandra of his history, how is mother, a Hylian woman had taken him into the woods, fleeing a great war and how she died beseeching the Deku Tree to raise her son. And then he told of the dark day ten years later, when the dessert king Ganondorf had entered Hyrule castle and made an unholy alliance with the King of Hyrule, and the scheme that Link and the Princess Zelda had concocted.

Link traveled throughout the land, gathering the Spiritual stones from their holders, and used them in conjunction with the magic Ocarina of Time to open the Sealed Door and claim the Master Sword, and how it had aged him seven years…

Cassandra listened intently, all the way through the final battle in the alternate future, atop Ganondorf's dark tower, and the massive beast, Ganon, a form which the Triforce of Power had given the Evil King the ability to assume.. Could all this really be true?

And then he told her that he had traveled into another realm, a new world, with a different history, with people—people who had the same faces but different names and motivations, and how a simple mask and the evil spirit therein had caused such a horrible catastrophe, a disaster barely averted thanks to the Four Giants, and the help of the Final Mask, the Fierce Deity Mask that Majora had given Link, hoping for a challenge.

He got one—Link used the dark power of his mask to vanquish the evil of Majora's Mask, and with it the monstrous moon he had hoped to crash into the planet.

Link finished by telling of his journeys across Hyrule and to the farthest parts of his world since that day, of his trek to distant Calatia, where he learned the art of war, of his oceanic voyage to Labrynna and Holodrum, where he attained many powerful items to replace the ones his travels through time and across dimensional boundaries had caused him to lose…

And how he had been returning to Hyrule to see all those he cared about when his destiny had called him away yet again to fight in another battle to save the Three Worlds from the Curse of Sin Ka Rah.

And indeed it was a curse, for Cassandra had her own tale to tell—a tale of Souls and Swords eternally retold.

"It began years ago," she said. "A man named Siegfried Schtauffen fought in a great battle, and in the heat of it, he killed the commander of the opposing army, only to learn that this man was his beloved father. Siegfried went insane, and convinced himself that he hadn't killed his father, that it had been someone else, and that he must avenge this death with an evil sword, the Blade of Evil, called the Soul Edge. Unfortunately, it had a mind of its own, and it gradually overwhelmed Siegfried, driving him mad. He began to call himself Nightmare, and to burn and pillage and kill wherever he went—all across Europe for three years, defeating everyone who dared challenge him and attacking everyone who didn't."

She paused a moment to let Link take this in, then continued. "Eventually, my sister, Sophitia, left our home and set off on a long journey at the behest of Hephaestus, our god of craftsmanship…"

Link arched an eyebrow at the mention of this deity, but she paid it no mind. "She found a man in Spain, who had the Soul Edge, it seemed. I don't know the details of that battle, but my sister was gravely injured. She was brought back to Athens by an Asian warrior named Taki, and my sister eventually recovered, and is now married and has a young child.

"This was all four years ago. We had lived in peace sense then, until a month ago, when a new evil began to plague us—monsters that called themselves the servants of Sin, those that could actually speak. Most of them were mindless as animals."

Epona snorted, but Cassandra didn't seem to notice.

"They have been seeking the Soul Edge?" Link asked.

Cassandra nodded. "They have been told repeatedly that it was destroyed four years ago, but they come anyway, pillaging and killing. It is… not as bad as it was when Nightmare reigned supreme over this land, when he tormented us with fear, but… They told us that Nightmare had the blade, but… how is that possible?"

"You think—you fear—that this Nightmare is still out there somewhere, and you believe he has the Soul Edge… Or perhaps _a_ Soul Edge," Link said. "You think there is another Evil Blade out there."

A tear slid down Cassandra's cheek as she nodded. "I hope I'm wrong."

**0000**

As the two horses later galloped into civilization, carrying their weary riders through the afternoon air, Link looked up…

And saw it. He didn't know what it was exactly, but it was amazing—a MASSIVE building atop a sheer high cliff, a series of columns extending around the largest, holding the roof up. It was comparable to some of Hyrule's great temples in scale, and surpassed them all but perhaps the Temple of Time in architecture…

Cassandra smiled at him as the rode by, and noticed him staring. "It's called the Acropolis," she said. "The high city**."**

"The whole thing, or just that building? Link pointed to the one that had caught his eye.

"That is called the Parthenon," she said. "It was once a great temple of our old gods until invaders came. It became the Church of the Parthena Maria, then later the Ottomans invaded, and this became a Mosque to their One God. They force their way of life and their beliefs on us."

Link took this in, asking questions about these religions, with Cassandra answering them as best she could.

"So they believe that only one God created everything?" Link asked her finally.

Cassandra nodded.

"I have encountered something like that, in Hyrule. Our legends say that three golden goddesses called Din, Nayru, and Farore sculpted the world with their powers and left for the heavens, leaving the essence of their power behind."

Link held forth his hand and the Triforce of Courage glowed on it. "That is what my Triforce is—the essence of Farore."

Cassandra nodded, so Link continued.

"But nobody knows where the Three came from, and nobody knows why the world existed for them to sculpt to begin with. I found a small island, remote and uncharted in the ocean, and there, they believed that there was a High Father to the Three, an omnipotent being that created Din, Nayru, and Farore and the world, and gave it to them to shape as they wished…"

After a while, Cassandra interrupted with a dismissive, "Interesting stories," and rode on, apparently not wanting to listen farther.

Link shrugged, and followed after her, through the streets of Athens, until she came to a house, obviously quite prominent and ornate…

Link and Cassandra dismounted their horses, and entered through the front door of the house, and immediately Link knew there was something wrong. There was a smell of sickness in the air, and a child crying unattended…

But more than that, he_ felt _it: an unfamiliar evil that permeated the air and caused the hairs on his arms to stand on end.

"Sophitia!" Cassandra called. "Sophitia!"

Suddenly, a man stepped in from another room, holding a dagger. But when he saw Cassandra, relief washed over his weary face and he looked at her gravely.

"Cassandra!" he said. "I am pleased to see you have returned, but I wish it were under better circumstances. My wife, your sister, is afflicted…"

"Rothion!" Cassandra blurted. "What do you mean she is afflicted? What is going on?"

The dark-skinned, dark haired man sighed deeply. "I'm sorry, Cassandra… Follow me, and I will show you." Rothion led the pair into another room, where a baby lay in a crib in the corner, and on a couch in the far side lay a woman that bore a striking resemblance to Cassandra, though she appeared a bit older.

Unfortunately, it was obvious she had seen better days. Her eyes were bloodshot from crying, and her face was pale. She clinched her stomach, and periodically reacted to a deep, terrible pain…

"What afflicts her?" Cassandra demanded to know again, her voice near breaking with emotion.

Rothion shook his head helplessly, and knelt by his wife, holding her against his side without pulling her off the couch. "I believe we know… but…"

The two riders stared at them inquisitively.

"Four days ago," Rothion explained, "a strange messenger came to our house, and gave us a box that contained a small shard that appeared to be made of metal… except that it pulsated and glowed. I had never seen anything like it, but as soon as Sophitia laid eyes on it, she grew pale. She told me it was impossible that this existed, that it had been destroyed…"

"It**_ is_**…" the woman on the couch said, obviously in pain… "a shard of the Soul Edge. It fills my old wound with evil power, and torments me." Sophitia screamed out again when another spasm of pain wracked her body…

"Destroy it!" Link exclaimed… "Is this not common sense? Be rid of it!"

The man scowled in anger, and shot back, "You dare think I have not tried, boy! It shatters every weapon I have brought to bear against it, and it becomes too heavy to lift any time I deign to remove it from this house!"

Link was taken aback by the man's anger, and realized how much he cared for his wife… He knelt by him. "I am sorry, sir."

"Who is this child, Cassandra?" Rothion asked of his sister-in-law.

"His name is Link. He claims to come of a far away land called Hyrule, and has pursued a dark shaman from his land here… Sin Ka Rah."

"You are after the scourge of the north?" Rothion said, astonished. "But you are so young…"

"I had saved two nations before I was eleven," Link said. "Now I must save _all_ nations. I take no pleasure or glory in this burden—I must complete this task or all will perish, and I will gladly take any help I can get, or give any I can spare."

"Good luck to you, sir," Rothion said with a curt nod. "But I don't think you capable of such a task. Armies have gone against his hordes, and gotten nowhere."

Inside his hat, Link felt Navi flutter in agitation, but he shook his head to remind her to make herself scarce as possible—enough people had seen her already.

"I may be able to help her. Where is the shard that afflicts her?"

Rothion goggled at the brazen youth, but turned and led the way to yet another room, far on the other end of the house, where a writhing shard emitted red light. It was sitting on a table in the middle of the room, pulsating…

Link could feel the evil emanating from the tiny piece… And knew without a doubt he had to destroy it… Link backed away, and lifted the shard off the table and dropped it on the ground. Then he set an arrow in his bow and whispered the incantation that imbued it with the power of Light, and shot it into the shard, the light exploding around it…

And then was shocked to see the shard still there, not damaged in the least, the arrowhead shattered…

But Rothion gasped when he saw both the display of power, and that the energy and pulsation had _ceased_, and quickly scooped the shard up and hurled it out the window, down to the bottom of the cliff upon which their house stood. After a while of silence, Rothion spoke.

"It is over, then," he said…

"No, it isn't," Cassandra insisted. "That shard is still out there somewhere, and if Sin Ka Rah is not searching in vain, so is another Soul Edge."

Rothion's eyes betrayed shock and fear at this suggestion. "You couldn't possibly suggest that Sophitia journey again—"

"But I must," came the voice from before, stronger and more emphatic. Link and the rest whirled around to see Sophitia, standing in the threshold to the room, holding her child close. "As much as it pains me, I must carry out the rest of Hephaestus' command."

Suddenly, Sophitia winced in pain as the baby moved, and Link thought for a moment that the woman would pass out or drop the child, but she did neither.

"Sophitia!" Rothion said, running over to embrace his wife and child. "You cannot go on a journey. You are still wounded."

"I can and I must!" Sophitia said. "It was assigned to me to destroy the evil sword, and I didn't finish what I started four years ago. I must finish it now."

"But—" Cassandra started… "Sister… allow me to go in your stead."

"No. I will go. It is my duty," she said. "And I will return to my home, for I have too much to live for here not to make it back. You and your friend may rest here as long as you wish—you're house is my house. I will set off in three weeks or as long as it takes me to arrange a suitable voyage to Alexandria, and I would ask your swordsman friend to accompany me."

"I would be honored," Link said. "But I also think it would be unwise for you to take this journey. After what has happened here—"

"I will go, and this shall be the end of it," Sophitia said, again grimacing from the pain. "But for now, we should all rest."

* * *

**Author's Note**: I promise some actual plot development in the next chapter. I **_promise!_ **


	5. The Goron's Lullaby

**Legend of Zelda - the Three World's Curse  
Chapter Five**

The next weeks Link and Cassandra spent in Athens and the surrounding area, hunting in the woods for more of Sin Ka Rah's monsters—and certainly more of them came. The beasts were normally animals possessed by Sin's evil, transformed into dark beasts that terrified the people in the cities.

And all the while, Cassandra told Link much of the history of this world. Many interesting peculiarities abounded, and in particular the frequency with which the lands called Greece and Rome changed hands in wars and invasions. The city of Athens, Link learned, was currently owned by a people that called themselves Ottomans. They believed in a religion called Islam, and prayed to their single God five times each day, and did many other things that were essential to their faith—called Pillars. She told them that the whole area used to have ancient gods—the ones that her family served, which the Ottoman's apparently tolerated because of her families wealth, and that before the Ottomans, another group called the Byzantines had owned it before that.

Of particular note, and astonishment to Link, was the religion of these people. The idea that the Divine would sacrifice his very Son for the sake of mere mortals was a concept unheard of in Hyrule. Link's gods governed as little as possible in the affairs of the sentient beings of Hyrule. It was, in a way, very moving…

"And these wars, these 'Crusades'," Navi asked, "lasted how long?"

Cassandra looked up at the flittering fairy and smiled. "Many years," she said. "Though eventually the crusaders completely lost site of their original goal and attacked their own people. It was a very sordid affair altogether."

"I see." The fairy turned and seemed to survey the surrounding land—though it was quite hard to tell as her glow completely obscured what she looked like underneath it. "Hey, listen!" Navi blurted after a beat. "Link is coming back."

Cassandra looked up to see Link emerging from the woods, dragging the carcass of a deer behind him. The power of the Silver Gauntlets and Power Glove together made it seems as though it were weightless to his enhanced muscles.

"You'll all eat well tonight!" Navi said enthusiastically.

Link gave both females a nod and smiled.

**

* * *

**

Link and Cassandra had almost returned to the city when suddenly, Navi fluttered her wings to make a chiming sound—it was annoying, sure, but it alerted him of danger. "What is it, Nav?" he asked her.

The fairy lowered her flight to very near Link's ear. "I think there is something behind those trees," Navi said. She motioned to a small grove of trees about twenty feet away from them…

Link looked that direction, and his Hylian ears quickly picked up the sounds of some large beast behind them… And it soon became apparent why, when a massive bear walked out from behind the trees. It wasn't possessed by Sin, but it was obviously either very hungry, or very angry.. or both.

The bear roared at the two and Cassandra quickly drew her sword and shield, and prepared to fight the bear away if she had too.

But Link motioned her back. "No. There is no need. This is not an evil creature."

"Evil or not, it may still kill us!" Cassandra blurted. "If we err, it should be on the side of caution!"

Link shook his head sharply and stepped forward, drawing his little purple clay flute from his bag, and kneeling about ten feet away from the bear.

"What does he think he is doing?" Cassandra asked Navi.

Navi just shrugged.

Link, however, was sure, and pressed the Ocarina of Time to his lips, and began to play a song. The magic melody flowed from the instrument as Link played, and the bear stopped, apparently entranced by the soft flow of the music, and then collapsed, and began to snore…

Cassandra came up behind Link. "H… how did you do that?"

"It's a song I learned. The 'Goron's Lullaby'. It soothes rages and puts to sleep whatever I will it to."

"You are serious?"

Link nodded., and replaced the Ocarina in his pocket. "I have no reason to lie to you."

Something about the way he had said it suddenly seemed very endearing to her, and she flashed him a smile. "I'm honored you feel that way, Link."

Link stifled a laugh and moved over to the dear he had dragged all this way. He removed his sword from its sheath and sliced off a leg of the deer. "We will have plenty. And this creature will be hungry when he awakens." Link dropped the leg near the bears face and then turned back and picked up the rest.

The three continued on to Rothion and Sophitia's house in silence.

**

* * *

**

"Well…" began Sophitia. "The arrangements are made." Sophitia continued to cradle her newborn in her arms as she brought a stone pot of the cooked venison to the table, and set it beside some bread she had purchased in the market. "We will set sail for Alexandria tomorrow, and from there cross the desert to the Red Sea, and then travel on to the Orient where Taki was from."

Taki, Link had learned, was the name of a woman from this world's far east, who had rescued Sophitia from near death during her first encounter with Cervantes' Soul Edge.

Linked looked across the table at Cassandra, who was staring at her sister, eyes full of grave concern. Sophitia should not have to do this. She was weakened by the presence of the piece of Soul Edge that had mysteriously been brought to her house…

And worst of all, after Link had thrown that piece from the window of Rothion's house, he had gone to try and locate it the next day—but it was nowhere to be found. Someone must have removed it, but to where, nobody could say.

After the baby was finally asleep, Sophitia placed him in his bed and sat down at the table to eat. Shortly after the meal, it was dark, and Link and the rest retired to bed, Link to the guest bedroom he had been graciously given by Rothion and Sophitia.

That night, he lay atop his sheets. He found himself unable to sleep. Navi was fluttering nearby, and occasionally she made comments about this world, or about the people they were staying with, or about the mission…

Suddenly Link heard the floor outside the room creek as light footsteps made their way away from the end of the house where Cassandra was sleeping and down to the first floor. Link listened as the door opened and closed.

"That isn't Sophitia, is it?" Navi asked. "She wasn't leaving until six o'clock in the morning."

Link nodded in agreement, and got out of bed, and ran to his window. He saw a figure, definitely female, opening up the stables. She untied Cassandra's house—Link had thought it was her—and mounted it, then rode off out of Link's view.

"Should we follow her?" Navi asked.

Link nodded. He was somewhat concerned, and though he had no idea what Cassandra was doing, he knew why she was doing it. Link ran back to his bed, threw on his undershirt and tunic, grabbed his bag, and then jumped out the window. He rolled when he hit the ground to avoid damage, and found Epona in the stable, undid her tether, and rode off in pursuit of Cassandra…

The night air was somewhat cool and damp, and it helped Link stay awake as Epona rode hard at a distance. Navi rested on Link's shoulder as the three beings hurtled through Athens, not knowing where exactly they were going…

Suddenly, a fluttering on the wind caught Link's ear, and he looked up… He saw a silhouette of a massive owl hover through the skies, towards a distant and ancient stone building… The one that Cassandra had told him was the Temple of Hephaestus. Was it him? Kaepora Gaebora?

But how could the owl have entered this world? Link shrugged, and headed towards the temple it was the only thing he could think of, and he had to get there before Cassandra did something they would all regret…

* * *

Cassandra ran forward, tears staining her face as she made her way through the halls of the temple… The metal in her boots clashed against the floor, the footsteps echoing throughout the now-vacant building…

Cassandra entered the shrine to Hephaestus, where her sister's Omega Sword and Nemea Shield rested from before, and she collapsed in front of the altar. "Hephaestus!" she cried., tears streaming down her reddened face. "Why do you condemn my sister to this quest? It will surely claim her life, and yet she has just given birth to a son! Her old wound—it pains her even now!"

There was no response.

"ANWER ME!" Cassandra shouted at the altar. "Show yourself, god of the forge!"

Cassandra sat there on the cold stone floor, and her sobs gradually subsided. The only light was the soft glow of the sword, shining on her from its resting place… That, and the moon, which allowed small amounts of light in through the temple's windows.

Cassandra stood up, and stare at the altar. Time, it seemed, passed in fast motion, and she had no idea how long she was standing there before a soft voice broke the silence. "Cassandra."

It was Link. He had followed her, entered the sacred temple behind her. _ Curse him and his foreign gods_. It had to be his fault! His presence was somehow making Hephaestus ignore her.

"Leave me," she said. "I wish to be alone."

"What are you doing here?" Link asked, the glittering necklace round his neck making his words plain as day to her. "You should be sleeping. Your sister will depart soon."

"He's right," the hovering fairy Navi said. "And Link is never going to get to sleep as long as you're up, running around worrying yourself to death."

Cassandra turned to regard the young man. _So_ young. So young. And yet he seemed to have wisdom beyond his years. And even greater than that, his reckless bravery that would drive him to challenge the likes of Sin Ka Rah with nothing more than a sword and shield.

No wonder, she found herself thanking, that his goddess gave him the crest of Courage.

"Link," she said. "My sister is not fit for this journey. You can see this, can you not?"

Link merely nodded, but his face let her know that he understood the gravity of the situation.

"What can I do? My sister will not last in a battle against that monster, or any fight for that matter…"

Suddenly, something occurred to her, and her eyes lit up.

"What is it?" Navi asked her. "You have an idea?"

"Link!" Cassandra blurted, and ran over to him. "That song you played before—the song that put the bear to sleep. Could you do that to my sister? Could you put her into a deep sleep and.. then I will take her place! I will go in her stead! We look so similar, the ship master will never know the difference. I only need to borrow some of her clothes, and it will work!"

Link, stepped back and scratched his head. "I…" he stammered.

"Please! My sister will die if she goes on this voyage. Let it fall to me. We will wait her. She'll be safe until the priests return tomorrow night, and they will take her back to the house of my brother-in-law."

"I like it!" Navi said cheerfully. "Come on, Link! You know it's the right thing to do!"

Link backed up, tried to stammer an excuse along the lines of it was not right to use the Ocarina for selfish reasons. Of course that was ludicrous. Cassandra was only thinking of her sister, and going on the journey could very well mean that SHE would be the one killed.

"Ah…. Alright," Link said at last. "I will help you go in the place of your sister."

* * *

Three hours later, Link and Cassandra approached the shipmaster, and were immediately allowed on board. The sailors were a mix of men and boys Link's age—there were a few even younger, and they generally seemed honest. Even so, Link made it especially clear that if anyone of them so much as thought about mistreating Cassandra due to her being the only woman, they would find their blood staining a magic sword from another universe.

Not in so many words of course.

"Mistress Sophitia," the unknowing captain greeted as Link and Cassandra stood on the bow of the boat. "We are ready to cast off. The skies are clear, and the waters show no signs of disturbance. I expect to have a smooth voyage."

Cassandra only nodded at the captain, then led Link away to the interior of the ship, where they had both been given quarters—Cassandra's the last in a the big boat's hall, and Link's the next out, so that he could hear anyone trying to sneak past.

Link had worn a tightly wrapped turban to conceal his long pointed ears, and Navi had, as so many times before, hid within the headgear until Link and Cassandra were alone.

"How long will this voyage take?" Link asked quietly.

"I don't know," she said. "Sophitia might have."

Link nodded. He would have to make do with what he had until he could restock. Apparently, nobody in Athens sold Red or Green Potions, and merchants looked at him very strangely whenever he had asked to purchase a bottled fairy. Perhaps such luxuries did not exist in Athens, but would in Alexandria….

"I crave the comfort of my home," Link said. "I had been away a long time even before I was summoned away on this quest."

"Even so," Cassandra said… She leaned forward and looked into Link's young eyes. So mature for his age… "I'm very grateful." Cassandra leaned forward, and despite herself, kissed Link. "Thank you."

With a blush, Link stepped backward, and watched Cassandra go into her room…

"What happened?" Navi called from within the hat. "That sounded like a. k—"

Link bonked Navi on the head, drawing a "HEY!" from her, and then retired to his own bunk. It had been a long night, and he now needed some sleep.


	6. The Far East

_Author's Notes: For my lack of updating, I can only offer you this apology:_

_"I'M SO SO SOOOOORY!"_

* * *

** The Legend of Zelda: Three World's Curse**

**  
Chapter Six: The Far East**

Weeks had passed since Link and Cassandra had left Alexandria and arrived in the Far East, and yet still, neither had had any success in tracking down the other half of the Soul Edge. Cassandra had begun to fear it did not exist, and yet Link… He remained resolute despite all their leads turning into dead ends. There had been no shortage of battling, of course. The creatures that had been corrupted by Sin Ka Rah were about, terrorizing the countryside, slaying villagers and destroying the lives of the people through this land known as China.

Several times, Link had suggested that they travel to a land towards the East that was called Nippon—though it was for somewhat selfish reasons. Nippon was the Hylian word for Heaven, the land where the gods and goddesses came from. Link found it curious that these people would call their land such a word, a word that should not have existed in their world…

But Cassandra had sensed his ulterior motive, and she had reminded him of their mission. They couldn't let personal quests interfere with the destruction of Sin.

Worst of all, the creatures of Sin's corruption increased. Their enemies were growing more powerful with each passing day, and it sometimes took the both of them to take down a single creature. Cassandra had commented that Sin already seemed pretty omnipotent if he could continue to make his creatures more powerful like this, and Link was unable to deny it seemed that way.

He already had Majora's Mask, after all. And what is one-third of omnipotence**  
**

* * *

Link yanked his magic blade from the carapace of the vile demon in front of him and its corpse collapsed into an inert heap at his feet before bursting into flames and disintegrating. Then he turned and his sword whirled around, slicing through another creature and separating its insectoid head from its apelike shoulders. The latter fell to the ground and burnt up, while Link kicked the body onto a pair of small bug creatures that were nipping at Cassandra's heels, crushing them flat. 

The distraction gone, Cassandra turned and hacked the stinger off of the massive Sin-enhanced scorpion-like creature behind her and then stomped its head in with her boot. Both heroes turned as a group of abominations that might once have been human charged at them, and both raised their swords and prepared to strike. Link moved first, rolling to the side and driving his sword through the first beast. A foul-smelling blue liquid leaked out as Link turned and slammed the hilt of his blade into the back of another creature's head…. Then suddenly went flying forward as a third smashed him with a powerful blow across the back. Link landed on his chest and quickly pushed himself up onto his knees, then turned in time to block an incoming burst of poison needles with his shield.

The Hylian narrowed his eyes when he saw that the apparent leader of the group of Sin-beasts, the one with the highest stature and most colorful carapace, glowered at him, lowering the wrist that had just launched the spines and raising the other one that was undoubtedly ready to fire, the deadly poisons contained in the darts undoubtedly bubbling into the projectiles at this very moment…

Link preempted the beast, charging forward into the attack. Three more spines slammed into his shield, and then fell away as Link swung his sword at the creature with so much power it almost made him fall over.

Unfortunately, the monster had a shield of his own, a thickened section of carapace on the backs of his forearms, that stopped Link's attack. Momentarily stunned, Link quickly drew back, dodging underneath a tendril that lashed out from the creature's mouth like a spikey tongue and then stabbing it. More blue blood sprayed out and Link tried another killing blow, this time going for the throat. The monster was too fast, though, and Link found his sword jammed partially into the creature's carapace. Then it cried out in pain from Link's attack, jerking its arms away and pulling Link's sword out of his hands.

The Hylian gasped, jumping back and scanning the battlefield. He saw his blade not far from Cassandra, and called out her name…

But the Athenian did not hear him. She was busy with her own battle. The brute she now fought wasn't the tallest, but he was certainly the broadest of the creatures, and she was also surrounded by three others, who seemed to be waiting—waiting for either Cassandra or the brute to perish in the battle. And she shuddered at the thought of what the others would do to her corpse if the brute emerged victorious…

Not dwelling on the potential horror, Cassandra lunged forward, slamming her shield into the brute's face and cutting at its muscled neck with her sword. The sword of Hephaestus dug into the monster's skin, but not deeply, and it shrugged her off—literally. Cassandra fell back and rolled further away from the brute as she landed, coming up underneath one of the smaller creatures and felling it with her sword before it could react. The odds just got better, and Cassandra decided to even them further.

Stepping forward as if to attack the brute again, Cassandra took the opportunity to both misdirect and build up a Soul Charge—then she slammed her charged blade through the chest of the creature to her right, sending it staggering backwards until it too succumbed to the blue fires.

Only the Brute and the creature to her left remained… And suddenly, it attacked, not wanting to meet the same unexpected fate as its brethren, it seemed. Cassandra blocked with her sword as it attacked with razor-sharp claws and then with her shield. It tried to knee her in the stomach, but she jabbed her sword downward, nearly severing the beast's leg in two… But then she took a slash to the face… She cried out, then cursed in Turkish and Greek as she forced the monster away from her. The shield, still raised in defense of the second attack, had taken the brunt of the creature's claw attack, but there were now two parallel cuts under her right eye. She could not tell how deep the cuts were, but they stung regardless. Nevertheless, the beast that had hit her retreated, and the Brute was coming back for more.

The woman stepped back, her foot sliding into a rock and stopping as she prepared for the Brute… Cassandra noted Link in the distance, fighting away from the leader and without his sword… With some form of hammer. She nodded. He was more resourceful than his youth let on. She wasn't worried about him, even has he continued out of her sight over a hill…

Finally, the Brute arrived and Cassandra charged forward, blocking his hammer strike with her shield and stabbing him in the abdomen with her sword. She sidestepped around him with characteristic grace and laid into his back with her blade, then kicked him over and watched as he tumbled down into the gully between the hill Cassandra stood on and the one that Link had just crested.

Cassandra nodded, and wiped the blood from her earlier wound from her face. It was more than she'd expected—she'd have to get it cleaned.

Then, examining a previously unfelt sharp pain in her left calf muscle, Cassandra found that it too had a cut, one she did not remember receiving in the battle… Turning, Cassandra's eyes widened when she realized that Link's blade now jutted from the earth behind her—it had not been a rock she braced herself against after all… She sheathed her own sword and picked up Link's much heavier blade as she headed over the hill towards Link—it all but required both hands for her to use it effectively.

As she approached, however, the Brute finally began to move. Cautiously, Cassandra approached him, raising Link's sword. The Brute looked up, and hissed at her before she brought the blade down and finished him off. "How such a young man came into possession of such a remarkable weapon," she commented as she started towards Link, "is not even the greatest mystery his arrival brings to my mind.**  
**

* * *

Even in his seventeen years—not counting all the time travel he'd gone through, of course—Link had had his fill of mysteries. Why the goddesses would choose a boy like him to be a hero had always boggled his mind more than any. What did he have that nobody else did? In the fight against Ganondorf he had worn the crest of courage on the back of his left hand, and in his heart rested the Triforce that resonated with that discipline. But surely there were people within the kingdom braver than he. Surely there were those wiser than Zelda. Why them? Why mere children? 

Maybe it was simply their curse, for they had been the ones who had meddled, who had enabled Ganondorf to obtain the Triforce of Power. In the other future, Zelda's words had caused Link to ponder that, perhaps had they not interfered, then nothing would have gone wrong in the first place.

And perhaps things did work out for the best, though Link had no idea what the future would bring or if his foe, his own creation, ultimately, would stay locked away in the Evil Realm. Ganondorf had sworn to escape someday, to terrorize Link's descendants. What if he made good on that promise?

No, it was best not to think about these things. Especially not in the heat of battle. Link, his sword disarmed, had switched to using a powerful magic hammer in its stead, not as strong as the Megaton Hammer he had once found in the Fire Temple, but plenty powerful enough to fend off the creatures that were attacking him. Link rolled out of the way of a bony blade and then threw himself into the air with a Roc's feather, landing behind his attacker and smashing his skull with the weapon. Link blocked another attack with the Hammer's handle and then slammed it into the face of the creature that attacked him. This fighting style was much faster than the sword techniques he was used to, using the Hammer and Feather in conjunction to stay in motion rather than waiting his opponents' patience out. It seemed to be working a good deal better against these foes, too. Unfortunately, the leader had assessed this and now the entire group, whittled down from thirty to now about twenty-strong, save for the few fighting Cassandra, were surrounding him—changing his faster reaction time from a convenience to a necessity.

Link looked up to see Cassandra coming over the hill-and holding his sword. Link let out a battle cry and slammed the Hammer into the ground, sending a shockwave all around that knocked the creatures away. Link then threw himself airborne with the Feather and landed near Cassandra. The young woman gasped as Link extended a hand. "May I have my sword back now, please?" he asked.

Cassandra blinked… "Sure…"

Link took the blade in his right hand—the one without the Power Glove—and channeled what magic he could into said glove. Then he charged into a group of seven of the creatures, using the hammer and sword in conjunction to carve a swath of destruction through them, even as a faint green glow manifested around him… Culminating in a spin attack that sent fifteen of the creatures down, followed by a super-charged ground pound with the hammer that killed the survivors—if there even were any.

Cassandra blinked again. Now only four of the 'soldier' level creatures and the extremely tall leader remained**  
**

* * *

As Link mopped up the soldiers, Cassandra clashed with the leader, driving her sword through his knee and sending him tumbling back. Over her head a glowing, golden arrow slammed into the leader's face and sent him toppling onto the ground. Cassandra drove her blade into the creature's head, and Link was not far behind, making sure it was dead by stabbing it several more times. 

…But even as Link delivered the final blow, the creature let out a blood-curdling scream…

And then, more creatures arose from the ground—creatures all too familiar to Link: ReDeads, Gibdos, and Stalfos.

"Great Hera, what are these things!?" Cassandra cried. "They're like corpses of fallen soldiers brought to life."

"That sums it up real nicely," Navi said from inside Link's hat.

Link only nodded, then hurled his boomerang at one of the ReDeads, decapitating it, when suddenly a shriek from Cassandra turned his attention to the young woman. She was frozen, locked up by the gaze of a nearby Gibdos. While it was busy lurching towards her, though, Link shot the mummy in the head with a Fire Arrow and then turned to deflect the sword of an attacking Stalfos.

Cassandra avoided the freezing glare of a second ReDead and tore into its torso with her sword, and then knocked its head off with her shield. Link shot two more of the walking corpses with Fire Arrows before finding himself out of magic energy—and then he found himself in the gaze of a ReDead, frozen like Cassandra had been.

A shriek let him know that Cassandra had been frozen too—and more ReDead's were emerging from the ground. If it had only been those, there would have been no problem, but the Stalfos that were there as well, and their extra speed from not having to carry any flesh around, meant that Link and Cassandra were sitting cuccos…

Suddenly, a storm of shuriken tore through the ReDeads, and a blur of red slammed into the nearest Stalfos, breaking bones with skillful strikes from a pair of_ kodachi_ short swords. Link gasped when he realized the attacker of the walking skeletons was a beautiful young woman with exotic features, her black hair tied back in a pony tail.

And Cassandra seemed to know who she was. "Taki!"

"Who is Taki?" Navi muttered. "You know this girl?"

The woman identified as Taki skillfully dodged the evil glares of the ReDeads and tore into them with amazing speed—she was the fastest fighter Link had ever seen.

Unfortunately, she wasn't perfect, and she got caught in the glare of one of the Gibdos. Link quickly darted across the way and smashed both the mummy and the nearby Stalfos with his Hammer, and helped the ninja to her feet. "Are you injured?"

"I am unharmed," replied the ninja curtly, then hurling another shuriken across the battlefield at an approaching Stalfos. Link turned and struck the creature with his hammer, sending its skull sailing towards Cassandra. The young woman smashed it with her shield…

Silence.

Link looked around to see that all the creatures were gone… "What do you think happened to them?" Navi asked him within Link's hat. "Did we scare them off?"

But the Hero of Time shook his head. No, it was doubtful. The Gibdos and Stalfos he'd encountered before were mindless zombies, stalking forward with no semblance of emotion. It was as if someone had simply… called off the attack.

Link turned as Cassandra approached, walking by him and approaching Taki. Link approached, wiping away the layer of sweat that had accrued on his brow during the fight. "You two know each other," Link observed, standing slightly behind Taki, facing Cassandra.

"I have never met this woman," Taki said evenly, but measuredly. "But I know who she must be related to. You are the sister of Sophitia Alexandra."

Cassandra nodded. "I am. My sister has fallen ill under the curse of the Evil Blade Soul Edge, and I have quested to destroy the blade in her place." The Necklace of Hephaestus translated the language of the foreign woman without any semblance of difficulty. It was as natural as speaking, Link thought with a small amount of awe. Surely Nayru herself could not craft a finer device.

Taki turned to Link, and studied him. It wasn't until now that Link really noticed her chosen garb. To call the red body-sheath skintight would be an understatement. It covered her entire figure, excluding her arms, from neck to foot, and left nothing to the imagination. Link found himself somewhat embarrassed, and began looking away.

Taki's glare bore into him, though. "Never turn your head from a potential opponent—never for any reason. I could have taken your life five times over were I inclined to do so."

Link's eyes lit up, and he turned his head back to face the ninja. Still, he forced himself to focus on her eyes.

Boy, was it hard.

"Who are you?" Taki asked. "What business do you have with Cassandra? And what is wrong with your ears?"

Link blinked, feeling like asking her the same question regarding her ears. Finally, he forced himself to speak. "My name is Link, and I have traveled here from a far away land known as Hyrule, in order to find and slay a beast known as Sin Ka Rah. He is seeking the very Soul Edge that Cassandra wishes to destroy"—Taki's eyes lit up at this, but Link continued—"So we traveled here together from the city of Athens."

Taki nodded, measuring Link's words. "If destroying the one known as Sin is your goal, then there is something you must see—in the village I where I am staying. Please follow me.**  
**

* * *

Navi objected vehemently to following the ninja, saying that she felt a great evil in the direction they were heading. Nevertheless, Link and Cassandra allowed Taki to lead them several miles through rough terrain, into a mountain settlement secluded from the rest of the world below. 

The soles of Cassandra's feet ached like she'd walked across the continent by the time they got to the village, and it was only outdone by the ache in her heart, the ache created by the dreadful circumstances in the village. As they arrived, evil seemed to wash over them, to saturate the air they breathed.

Many citizens of the village shuffled about like zombies, gangling and undernourished. The worst of them seemed to be barely less zombie-like than the ReDead's Link and Cassandra had killed. Many healthy-looking villagers also displayed symptoms, all of them circling around a blasphemous monument to Sin in the centre of the village.

Link asked one villager the purpose of the structure, but he had only shrugged, saying nobody knew why they were building it, or even what it was…

Taki had pulled them into the home in which she was staying, the home of an elderly sword smith, and explained the situation in more detail.

"It's some sort of sickness that's infested this entire village. The water of the well has been contaminated by the one they call Sin Ka Rah, and everyone who drinks it loses all sense of the world. Even those who don't are afflicted, occasionally contributing to the construction and not having any explanation as to why. The worst of the afflicted simply stop eating, stop sleeping, and spend all their time working on the structure until they fall over dead."

"This is horrible." Cassandra looked out at the villagers, wasting their energy, working and dying as slaves.

"Not all of them are infected," Taki continued. "The villagers of very strong will are able to resist, but barely. The kind old man here tells me that his son was one of the first to die working on this monstrosity."

"Is there nothing that we can do?" Link asked. Navi fluttered above him, clearly distressed.

"I don't know," Taki said. "Nothing anyone has tried has worked. Three men tried to destroy the monument last week, only to break their weapons against it and end up helping construct it the next morning."

"Then can we do nothing but wait?" Link asked. "I believe I might be able to help… but…"

"But what?" Cassandra asked.

"I have exhausted my reserves of magic power," he said. "And I cut through grass all the way here, searching for magic jars. I found none. I found nothing at all in your tall grass."

Cassandra just stared at him as though what he'd said was strange. Link shrugged. "I do not understand it myself. I have not even found money in the tall grass."

Taki and Cassandra traded curious glances. "Perhaps it is something lost in translation," Taki said, indicating the necklaces. Cassandra had no idea. Many of Link's beliefs about the nature of reality seemed… odd.

"I am exhausted," Link said after a moment of silence. "And thirsty. Is there any water here not afflicted by Sin's dark magic?"

Taki nodded. "There is a spring up atop the hill." She indicated to the back of the sword smith's yard, where a trail higher up the mountain was barely visible in the twilight.

Link left silently**  
**

* * *

Even after the sun had set and the moon beamed down on the secluded village, Link still refused to return. He'd started a small fire up near the spring, and had spent much of the evening washing his clothes and his body in the cool water. Navi was busy doing… whatever fairies do… off in the woods. 

Link climbed out of the water, the moonlight catching his bare torso in the moonlight. He rolled the legs of his tights back down to his ankles and had just pulled on his undershirt when he heard footsteps coming up the trail. Link hid behind a tree until he saw that the incoming figure was actually Cassandra.

"Link?" she called out, finding the fire and sitting down beside it. "Link?"

"I'm here," he said, stepping out of the darkness and joining Cassandra by the fire. He gave a self depreciating laugh. "It's not often in my travels that I can find a private place to bathe. And it is peaceful up here."

Cassandra nodded, noting a cut on his clothing that showed a cut in his flesh underneath, across his chest. "Are you injured."

Link shrugged. "It's not the worst I've had. I wish I had a red potion right now, though."

"A what?" Cassandra asked bemused. "Is that some sort of magic cure for all injuries."

"Well, actually, yes," Link replied. "I searched for one in your world but… I couldn't find one at all."

Cassandra dropped removed her sword and shield, took of her gloves, and pulled a small pouch from a pocket on her belt. "Here, let me try this remedy, something Sophitia taught me."

She pulled Link's top up to his neck and rubbed the salve from her belt into his cut. Link gritted his teeth in pain, but didn't resist. "You have so many scars," she noticed. "You've been in way too many battles for someone your age."

Link glanced away. "The goddesses chose me to be a hero… I don't think I have a choice."

"You always have a choice, Link. The fact that you continue to chose this, knowing what the risk is… That is what makes you a hero. I did not wish to come here. I wish to be back in Athens with my sister and Rothion, comfortable. I am only here because Sophitia cannot be here, not with her wounds."

"There's more to it than that," Link said. He had spent seven years learning to read people, and there wasn't much that escaped his perception anymore, not on this front. "You think your sister doesn't trust you. You also want to prove that you can do anything she can."

Cassandra's eyes lit up, and she opened her mouth to deny it, but then found that she couldn't. Rather, she looked away bitterly. "You speak your mind too freely, Link."

"I meant no harm…" Link said. After a beat, he gave the young woman a nervous smile. "Cassandra… about what happened on the ship after leaving Athens…"

"It was nothing," Cassandra said. "I was distressed. You… were a convenient outlet." She finished rubbing the salve into the cut and pulled Link's undershirt back down. Cassandra stood and turned away. "There are no more rooms within the house, but I suppose you're used to sleeping outside."

Now there was obvious pain in her voice. Link could tell she was trying to be angry at him, but instead just felt pity. Link didn't like pity; he could more than take care of himself. But yet he understood it. At ten years old he'd been forced to save the world in the body of a seventeen year old. At eleven, he'd used time-travel again to save another world from its own personal demon, from its own angry moon. And for seven years he'd traveled the world searching for his place in it, but never finding it. He'd gotten used to people pitying him. He never learned to like it though.

Silently, Link sat, not even watching Cassandra leave.

Then, he realize that she hadn't left… she was walking back over to him, where she sat down next to him. The two sat in silence by the fire for what seemed like hours, when finally, Cassandra spoke. "Link. You were right in your assessment. I do wish to prove myself to Sophitia. I overreacted; but you have no right to insult my self-worth in the manner you spoke."

Link didn't say anything at first, then glanced over. "Tact is not a gift Farore blessed me with." His smile had returned, and Cassandra was smiling too, now, though not fully. "It is possible the evil of this place has affected us. If we are tense around each other—then we will be less effective against Sin Ka Rah."

Cassandra nodded, and brought herself closer to Link, pulling him into a kiss, like the one they'd shared the night on the ship. "I think we've gotten past that," she said. "When we go against Sin or whatever he throws at us, we fight together."

"_Hai_." Link nodded, and held Cassandra as she held him, even as the fire died away.

* * *

The following morning, Link and Cassandra bathed/swam in cool pool around the hilltop spring, washing away three days worth of dirt and sweat and blood since their last real bath. It was only after Link suggested he kill something they could eat for breakfast that the screams echoed up through the village. Link immediately drew his sword and ran down the hill, as Cassandra finished donning her gear and followed close behind. 

Taki greeted the two, chiding them for vanishing for the whole night, even as she explained the source of the commotion. "Creatures—minions of Sin are attacking the village."

Link ran outside, the magic blade drawn… To find the village in utter chaos. The villagers fled from tektite sized spiders with the markings of Sin Ka Rah, screaming they fended off the monsters. Link watched in horror as a villager was tackled by one of the spiders. He ran towards it, but got there too late—the beast sank its fangs into the human, and then detached. Link's blade sliced the spider clean in two, but the villager shot to his feet with a cry of agony, his body warping, spewing dark ectoplasm. His eyes became glowing pits of ghostly energy.

It was obvious what it had become—a Poe.

Link cursed Sin, even as he sliced the Poe in half. Its lantern fell to the ground and shattered, and he turned and sliced another spider in two.

Cassandra, drawing her own weapons, followed Link's lead, attacking the spiders, even as Taki joined the battle.

"If the civilians are bitten," Link called, "destroy them. There is no hope for them once they've been turned. I've never even seen magic like this—to instantly go from living to Poe…"

Cassandra and Taki had no idea what a Poe was, but complied with Link's orders, hacking away at the Spiders as best they could.

Link watched in horror as, nearby, a woman fled with two small children running beside her and a baby in her arms—even as a spider jumped the woman, digging its fangs into her neck. The woman transformed, even as the baby began to cry.

Then the spider turned and bit her young son, while two more tackled the woman's other children, also turning them. Link screamed the worst Goron curse he could think of, charging the Poes and the Sin creatures that were producing them, reducing all to confetti—in both ethereal and insectoid varieties—with some skillful sword work.

Taki flipped away from a Spider, then lunged forward and sliced it in two—to her side, the wall of the sword smith's home exploded backwards as a spider, carrying the smith with it, ploughed through, knocking him onto the cold ground. The smith stood, using the katana in his hand to slice the bug in two, and then several more, as they charged at him.

But he wasn't as young as he used to be, and one got the better of him, landing on his back and digging his fangs into the man's shoulders… The old smith let out a cry of pain, and then rammed his blade straight through his own chest, spearing the Spider along with it. Ectoplasm leaked from his chest, even as he finished morphing into a Poe.

Taki snarled something in the language of Nippon so vicious that the necklace didn't have a Hylian equivalent, and sliced the Poe that used to be the smith in two.

A spider leapt from the base of the Statue to Sin, and suddenly, link realized what it was—a _nest.  
_

Link batted away the Sin Spider and took down two more with a charged sword technique—then smashed open the next with the Magic Hammer. Sure enough, inside the statue built over the well, thousands of eggs were swelling up as they began to hatch.

Reaching into his replenished magic reserves, Link cast Din's Fire on the next, charring all the eggs inside to extinction. He followed that up with a couple of unlit bombs that he then detonated with a Fire Arrow.

_**KRAKABOOM!**_

The monument to Sin collapsed, leaving nothing but the charged remains of the well—from which evil energy still poured forth. Link, lacking any other solutions, pulled out his Ocarina and played the Song of Healing…

Immediately, the corruption ceased, the Poes fled, and the spiders seemed weakened and confused. Link turned, charging back towards the main part of the battle, the few surviving villagers still fleeing for their lives.

Taki was tackled by a Spider, but threw it off of her and then vivisected it with her blades, even as Cassandra chopped two in half with the Omega Blade.

The weakened spiders converged around the now-purified well, and then charged at the trio of defenders… Link pulled out his bow, realizing that he would need to make every shot count given his current supply of arrows, and unleashed, taking down the Spiders from long range.

The ones that made it past were cut down by Taki and Cassandra, and the fight was soon over.

The three turned to survey the survivors—and there weren't many, maybe twenty, give or take. Link fell to his knees and gave the lost a eulogy, while Taki stood stone-faced and Cassandra mourned silently and tearlessly.

Then all hell broke loose; fire exploded around the village, homes throughout catching ablaze, even as the source of the fire was made clear.

Nightmare landed in between Link and the villagers, snarling with rage and holding only a tiny fragment of Soul Edge in his hand. **_"WHERE IS SIN!?"_** the monster bellowed. **_"HE HAS TAKEN WHAT IS MINE, AND NOBODY WILL STAND IN MY WAY UNTIL I GET IT BACK."_**

Next to Link, Navi bristled. "This just keeps getting better and better."


End file.
